Must-Have Clean Record to Dine at This Stunning French Restaurant!

Think again if you assume this is just another trendy concept for thrill-seeking Parisians. In a restaurant in the south of France, customers must literally show a clean slate before they can dine. No jokes here: the criminal record of each patron is thoroughly checked. The only exceptions? Lawyers, police officers, military police, and customs officers, who can bypass this check upon showing their badges. Despite this, the place is beloved for its warm atmosphere and meticulously curated menu, boasting a 4.9/5 rating on both Google and TripAdvisor, marking its excellent reputation.

In the fall, the menu features dishes like celery pork balls with quince compote or trout gravlax with beetroot cream. Main courses offer choices like low-temperature mackerel fillet, mushroom ravioli, or lacquered lamb sweetbreads. For desserts, chai milk rice with clementine, chestnut cream soft cake, or labneh in stracciatella style will delight those with a sweet tooth. The menu is seasonal and offers great value for money, with a two-course meal at 28 euros and a full three-course meal at 35 euros. You won’t find a wine list here, as alcohol is not permitted.

“For me, it’s a top-notch spot, both for the experience and for a menu that rivals fine bistronomic restaurants,” says a visitor to Marseille. “A bistronomic meal with refined tastes, flavor combinations that tantalize the taste buds, and unique mocktails.” “It’s a one-of-a-kind experience. The presentation of the dishes is impeccably executed, and the service is spot-on.” But why the stringent entry procedure? Are the ingredients so precious that the restaurateurs fear theft?

Not at all! In fact, the restaurant, named Les Beaux Mets, is located within the Baumettes Prison! Just a stone’s throw from the Calanque de Morgiou in Marseille, it serves as a Support Structure for Exit (SAS), aiding the transition of inmates back into society. The kitchen brigade, led by Chef Valentin Majan, includes professional cooks (a head chef, a sous-chef, and a maître d’hôtel) and inmates who serve as kitchen and dining room staff. Consequently, the strictest precautions are taken before admitting anyone. As the website explains, “access to the restaurant is conditional on obtaining a penitentiary access authorization in connection with our partner, the penitentiary administration. This authorization is granted after a criminal record check of each guest”. A lengthy process, requiring reservations to be made 4 days in advance.

However, non-European Union nationals are not allowed to enter the prison premises to dine. One customer shares, “After a search and going through a scanner, you enter a beautifully and tastefully decorated room that completely makes you forget you are in a prison.” Clearly, this unique spot is not about spectacle, but about finesse.